Would it be foolish to not choose a Russell Group uni?

[MollyHuaCha]

DD has 5 uni offers inc. two from RG universities to study history. Mock exams and grade predictions indicate that she is likely to achieve the required grades for all five places.

Common sense tells me she should put the two RG unis as 1st and insurance choices.

But she is now talking of putting one of the other unis as 1st choice simply because she prefers the city it's in.

Ultimately it's her decision not mine, but she's unsure and keeps asking other people that they think of this.

College tutor recommends the RG universities. But DD says this is for their own benefit, not hers.

Any thoughts from anyone about this I could share with her please?

City obv

My daughter chose Sussex above Russell group offers (for medicine)because she preferred the course .She is very happy there .

I transferred from very high to fairly mundane ranked uni & it turned out to be a very right decision, got loads of skills at mundane I would never have had at high rank Uni.

She has to spend at least 3 yrs there. Where she's happy & feels like the right course is hugely important.

My DB dropped out of top uni because he hated the town and the people he was with. He was miles from home and it was always cold and raining. I'm not an expert but I know Brighton is a great city to be young and have the whole experience that goes with going to uni.

She could go to Sussex and ace her degree and do a masters somewhere more highly ranked? 💁🏻‍♀️

Also has she really, really looked at the how the different courses are structured (content, size, lectures Vs tutorials, module choices, how assessed, percentage of firsts awarded etc etc.
What about the masters courses available?

It makes less difference for medicine. We need all the grads we can get so all Medics are guaranteed a job. Not the same rosy position with History grads. Why cannot she choose Exeter or Warwick as firm choice and put Sussex as the insurance? I assume their offer is lower. Why did she apply to two high flying universities and then not want to go to either of them? If she wanted a lively place, there were lots of other high ranking options in cities.

If she wants to teach, no-one will be overly judgemental. If she’s aiming for a top grad scheme, they might wonder why she under-sold herself and took an easier option.

My DD2 has opted for Sussex as her first choice over Loughborough. As she is my third child to go through university, I know she is best to choose the place she wants to go to, over the place she 'should' go to, in terms of her personal well-being (mental health being the priority) and achievement.
DD1 turned down Durham to go to a plate-glass uni. At 23 she has already achieved so much (now studying for a masters in a prestigious uni) and I am sure this is partly due to her determination to not stay within an elite bubble.

As PP states, only on MN are Russell Group seen as the only sensible option.

As a Coventry city of culture fan though do go to Warwick ( too close for us to consider sadly) if you get an offer. Fab university...

Exeter only joined the marketing phenomena that is the Russell Group in 2012 - same time as Durham and York. Wind the clock back to say 2010 and I'd doubt you find many MNers bemoaning the fact that their DC was off to one off those three. So not convinced at all about the common sense argument. The number of RGs that are truly elite in the global sense could be counted on one hand.........with probably a digit to spare.

That said Exeter and Warwick are probably a level above Sussex particularly for History but before we get too carried away by our national league table obsession let's remember that Sussex is still a very good university

I'd suggest your DC needs to think carefully about course content, teaching and assessment structure, as well as where she wants to spend the next three years. If it was Bedford or Anglia Ruskin that she was thinking of choosing over Exeter or Warwick that probably would be grounds for concern. If she genuinely feels with a range of good reasons that Sussex is the right place for her then I'd argue she deserves support in her decision

Sparklefloof she has no idea, but knows it won't be teaching (my profession!).

Thesandwich & Quaza DD likes modules at all three places.

Bubblesbuddy she applied to five wide ranging unis due to lack of confidence. She had been unwell during earlier teen years therefore hadn't done brilliantly at GCSE & had no idea whether she would get offers from anywhere at all.

In our family they got offers to Exeter and Warwick but decided not to go there but go to original 1994 group Unis - all with same grade offers

It was the best decision then and now

Course was much better, and suited their interests and lovely city and so happy they chose where they wanted to live and study rather than choosing RG because they are RG

IMHO Let the children decide where they want to study and live, it is them that will be there for 3 + years

Sussex is a great uni with excellent reputation, isn't it?

I suggest she looks at potential careers so she has an idea of what pathways she needs to follow after uni and the sort of degree she would need/ where to get it from. It's very important that she's happy but she should think of future prospects too.

Good luck to your DD

My DD is in her second year at Sussex, doing Biology. She loves living in Brighton although accommodation is expensive.

get her to do research on the real student life at the choices by looking at the student online newspaper THE TAB then look at bottom of home page and you can see lots of various different universities student newspaper listed

Sorry. For such a long link but reading THE TAB online is quite revealing about what it is actually like to live, study there.

Also, what the other students are like!

Yes, I know Brighton (Sussex) is expensive for renting houses, but I've not shared that with DD as I wanted her decision not to influenced by money.

IhaveChillyToes thanks for your link!

RG isn’t really that well respected anymore compared to previously (over half failed to get good marks in the TEF, while “lower” ranking unis surpassed them). There are so many ways to judge a university by now. It’s not just about academia, she needs to be in a place where she can gain a good degree but also real world experience, skills and have opportunities. Her happiness is very important to. Ultimately it is her decision and I think you should respect her choices.

I think that it depends on what she plans to do with her degree. If she wants to be one a history teacher it won't matter. If she wants to do the GDL and become a magic circle solicitor then RG would be essential more or less.

I'd chose the university with the highest ranked department within the degree she wants to do personally

highest ranked department
Define
explain
because many of the "happiest" departments have the lowest academic rigour
many of the "worst departments" are those that expect excellence
the TEF is statistically well dodgy
as are pretty much all league tables (as the ASA has just started enforcing)

Has she looked at graduate prospects? Or the number of firsts and 2:1 degrees? Both are important factors when choosing a university.

If your DD fits with this profile then Exeter will be just right for her!

But if not, then perhaps it isn't iyswim

The other students really seem to prefer students from London and Home Counties don't they?

No idea where you live but this shocked me and I live in those areas

I’m going to ask the obvious,what’s after the history degree?does she know
It’s a lot of money on a non-vocational degree, she’ll likely need a masters too
You said she’s ruled out teaching

Sussex version seems much friendlier might be worth noting the opinions of different halls of residence when she is choosing them

Sussex is a great university! It's part of the 1994 group, along with Birkbeck, Goldsmiths, Bath, East Anglia...

I know someone who's studied History there and says it's a really vibrant and interesting department.

Download And read Informed Choices by the Sutton Trust. This may help....